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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — all right
  5. saw — the tool
  6. face — to confront
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mark — a grade
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. present — there
  12. hand — help
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fine — high quality
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. face — part of the head
  17. present — a gift
  18. hand — in cards
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lie — to recline
  23. present — the time now
  24. hand — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com